For the Sake of the Call

For the Sake of the Call

Jan. 6, 2008 - Christmas Card Conundrum

Who knew you all cared so much about Sour Crap! I think that was one of my most popular posts ever!

Now on to my present quandry: Christmas Cards! I'm working on them dilligently, trying to improve upon last year where I sent them out the week before Valentine's Day. I have the letters copied & folded, the return labels neatly placed on the envelopes, the photo cards in hand, and have been working on compiling the list of recipients all afternoon. This is a complicated process of comparing those who sent cards to us this year and last, with other family members, and additional friends. I'm trying to get all of this organized so that it's not such a headache in years to come. The problem is this:

I have either too many friends, or too few Christmas cards!

I just can't accept the former as a true statement, so it must be the latter! I just knew I should order 75 photo cards, but my husband said I only needed 50, so I bought 60. It'd take a bit of slashing to get it down to 75, but narrowing the list to 60 seems insane. What is a girl to do?

There are several factors involved that make this process so complicated. First, my family is large, and dh's family is huge. Family alone acounts for 35 cards right off the bat. Insane! Some of these people I hardly know, never see, and never send Christmas cards to us, but somehow I am compelled to send them all Christmas cards lest I offend someone. Add to that the fact that we've lived in 4 different states. We still have college friends on the list, Maryland friends, and Virginia friends. Each time we move, the list has been cut and people have been removed. Every time I have done that, it breaks my heart, and every year I want to be able to add those people to the list again! Typically, I don't send cards to the in-town people we see regularly (with the exception of family), but every year, somebody from church will break that rule and send us a card and then I feel compelled to return the favor, but then what if someone else from church goes over to their house and sees our picture on their fridge and gets their feelings hurt because we didn't send them a card too. I hate to hurt people's feelings!!! Some people only send cards to the people who send them cards, but having endured the lean years when I was too consumed by my babies to be able to get organized enough to send cards myself, it's hard for me to remove people from my list just because they haven't sent me a card. The result is that when I sit down to make my list, there are easily over 100 names on it! I don't have a problem sending 100 cards, but my budget does! Sigh!

I'm sorry to say that writing this post has not resulted in a catharsis of any sort! It's still a conundrum, and I need to quit procrastinating, make a decision, slash the list, and mail the 60 cards that I do have. Not getting a Christmas card from our family will not ruin someone's life forever. My sincere apologies to those of you whose names have been removed from the list. It truly breaks my heart to do it. And no matter what my husband thinks, next year I'm ordering at least 75!

• Post A Comment!

Jan. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by BChsMamaof3

I haven't got my Christmas cards out yet either :( I am extremely late this year but it's the picture and the letter that count right? no matter when they arrive *grin* I send out 55 cards to mostly family and a few close friends and in return I receive only 12 or 15 usually (13 this year). Each year I threaten to cut off those who don't send to me and I have weaned my list down a little bit taking out those that I have never heard from in the last 10 years or so, but in the end I never cut them all off. LOL. I've given up on expecting anymore and I would feel bad if I didn't send even though it costs a small fortune and you send out even more than I do! I guess it depends on what it means to you personally. I love to let everyone know what is happening in our lives and most of our family lives overseas or far away so this is one of the few times I get to give them a peak into our lives and I think that if I didn't do it I would lose the little bit of contact that I do receive back and I really appreciate the letters I receive even though they are sporadic :) It's a tough one and not an easy decision and I probably didn't help you decide *grin*

This year we are saving our received cards though and the ones that my mom has gotten (she gets tons) and we are going to recycle them and cut off the nice parts to fashion new cards for sending next year so that we don't have to buy as many. Would that be an option that you could do and make it a project with the children to cut down on the cost of buying cards? and then maybe hand delivering a bunch of them to church friends and others that live close by to cut down on mailing expenses? Just an idea :)

I'll be thinking of you folding, addressing and stamping your cards as I work on mine *grin*
Blessings to you and your family,
BChsMamaof3

Permanent Link

Jan. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by henryteachers

It was nice to stop by again and thought I would comment. An idea would be to scan in your Christmas card and send it by email or just attach a picture of your family with an email greeting. That will help to narrow down your list but still allow you to send it to those you have an email address for. Good luck!

Permanent Link

Jan. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by socalval

I know a bunch of people who send out cards after Christmas or on Valentines Day. I think that is a great idea. Hang in there...

Valerie

Permanent Link

Jan. 6, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by HeartnSoul

Peace on Earth... not Christmas cards? lol I suppose it really depends on why one sends out cards. For ex. some only send as advertisement/thank you for being a customer/client.

One of our in-laws send out a Thanksgiving newsletter, which I guess covers for Christmas too. We do a family newsletter 4 times a year updating our "list" with news and photos, and a Merry Christmas greeting in Dec. so in actual "Christmas" cards I only sent around 10 formal ones this year. At .41 each (x75) it's not a cheap way to deliver "glad tidings" lol. I've never enjoyed feeling obligated to reciprocate but if they are close, they go on the newsletter update list ;)

Permanent Link

Jan. 7, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by chickadee@afamiliarpath.blogspot.com

this is a dilemma for me too. what i end up doing is buying cards on sale after christmas. these cards are for people at church and people who send me a last minute card. sometimes i will include a wallet sized photo of our christmas card picture that i print myself.

the rest of the card i have done a variety of ways and this year was by far the easiest, though i'm not sure about the cheapest, stamps alone can break you.

i got them printed at winkflash on a photo card (did i send you one?) before i have always just gotten 50-75 of our chosen photo printed at the cheapest rate i can, sometimes 10 cents each. then i put them in cards that i purchase the year before on sale. this year i got a huge pack for 3 or 4 dollars. they are the kind you slip a photo into. so i'll probably go back to that style next year.

sometimes i've been able to stock up on the cards by getting them for 50 cents way after christmas at walmart.

don't know if any of this helps, and i really don't know my final cost on any of it. i just know having the cards ahead of time makes me more likely to get them done and sent out.

Permanent Link

Jan. 7, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

I had good intentions this year, but none got sent. That's how lame I am.

*and next year? Just don't send any....

(I know, I'm not helping...)
Emily
thelearningneverstops.blogspot.com

Permanent Link

Jan. 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

I'm such a weirdo!! I look forward all year to sending Christmas photos & letters. Even now I'm thinking "oh boy, I get to do that again in just 11 more months." ROFLOL! (just don't ask me to bake cookies .... blech .... luckily the DH loves that part of Christmas). Don't get me wrong - I LOVE the notion of baking cookies, but by the time I clean the kitchen, discover I'm missing 1 key ingredient, run to the store, burn a batch or two ... I get discouraged & it's lost all its magic for me. I'd be better off using that time to read book # 2 of the year. bahaha (hi Jenny ;-)

Permanent Link

Jan. 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Can you post a copy of the card/photo here, for the 40 or so who don't make the cut? :)

Permanent Link

Jan. 8, 2008 - Christmas Cards

Posted by sonshine4u

The bottom line is this, we send them out to stay in touch regardless if others do or don't. The highlights and tidbits we choose to send are pieces of our life that we couldn't share with them during the year. We do love all the people on the list. It is getting more expensive with postage, but remember...the light we send to our friends and family on a piece of paper for 41cents is worth more than we can imagine. Send to all 75 people...just go get some cheap cards on clearance at walgreens, walmart, target or wherever you may find them and send the card now! It's better late than never! I am folding our newsletter and mailing ours today! Stop agonizing about your list and spread the love! :) YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Permanent Link

Jan. 11, 2008 - Here's what I do.

Posted by REInvestor

I send out all the Christmas cards I can on email complete with picture of the family. That cuts way down on time and money. Then the rest I have left, about 15, I send in the mail.
Thanks for the encouragement on my blog. It helped me yesterday to relax a bit in my thinking. I am a responsible first born, so everything has to be done in a certain way or I feel guilty. Something I am working on.

Permanent Link

<- Last Page • Next Page ->

About Me

Philosophical musings from the heart of a home-educating mommy of four and wife of ten years. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." Psalms 19:14